Mechanism for shifting plate-glass-grinding tables



F. E. TROUTMAN. MECHANISM FOR SHI'FTING PLATE GLASS GRINDING TABLES.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 13. I920. 1,385,852. Patented July 26, 1921. 2 SHEEIS-SHEET a.

INVENTOR.

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APPLICATION FILED FEB. 13, 1920. 1,385,852. Patented July 26,1921.

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UNITED. STATES PATENT FRANK E. TROUTMAN, 0F BUTLER, PENNSYLVANIA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 26-, 1921.

Application filed February 13, 1920. Serial No. 358,332.

To all 207mm 2'25 may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK-E. TROU'IMAN, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Butler, in the county of Butler and State of Pennsylvania have invented a new and useful Improvement in Mechanism for Shifting Plate-Glass-Grinding Tables; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to apparatus for shifting plate-glass grinding and polishing tables. I

In the manufacture glass after it has been cast or rolled into sheets is embedded or laid on a grinding table circular in form, the glass beingheld in position by being laid in plaster of aris. The table is provided with wheels adapted to run on tracks and is conveyed by this means of the grinding apparatus. This grinding apparatus consists essentially of a vertical shaft or column adapted to be raised and lowered, said shaft to be located below the floor level and carrying at its upper end a gear wheel, said vertical shaft or gear wheel having a platform to receive the table and support the same during the rotation of the The track extends adjacent to of plate-glass, the

engaging the track, into position to be engaged by the supportin platform, the vertical shaft is elevated I01 tracks lowered) and the wheels of the table are disengaged from the track so as to permit of the free rotation of the table. en the grinding operation is over and the vertical shaft is brought to a standstill, the wheels of the table may be at any angle with reference to the track, and in order to spot, as it is termed, the wheels directly over and in line with the rails, it is necessary to turn the table until the wheels register with the rails, whereupon the table is lowered by lowering the vertical shaft or tracks raised and the table is again supported on the track ready to be conveyed away to another part of the factory for the polishing operation.

It has been customar 1 heretofore to drive the table with a high power motor so as to rotate the table at a relatively high speed. Consequently after the grinding operation, it was very diflicult to shift the tables in order to spot the wheels with reference to the rails, due to the difliculty in stopping The object of my invention is to provide To t ese ends my invention consists, generally stated, in a grinding or polishing ta le having wheels adapted to engage a suitable track means for disengaging said wheels from said track means for rotating tating said table when said first-named rois idle.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical elevation partly in section of my improved apparatus; Fig. 2 is a plan view; and Fig. 3 is a view showing the table elevated to disengage the wheels from the track.

In the accompanying drawings, the numeral 2 designates a suitable concrete or other foundation provided with the pit 3. Lo-

cated 1n the pit 3 is the hydraulic cylinder and making provision for the raising and lowering of said vertical shaft.

he upper end of the shaft 5 has a bearing in the spider 6 supported on the ledge 7 of the foundations.

At the upper end of the shaft 5 is the gear-wheel 8, and above and preferably cast integral with said gear-wheel is the support or platform 9 with the beveled periphery 10.

A vertical shaft 11 is journaled in the spider 6 and bearings 12, said shaft having at its upper end the pinion 13 adapted to mesh with the gear-wheel 8. A beveled gear 14 at the lower end of the shaft 11 meshes with the bevel-pinion 15 on the shaft A suitable motor 18 of high power and speed is provided to drive the shaft 16 during the grinding operation.

A shaft 19 is adapted to be connected with the shaft 16 by means of a suitable electric ounce.

for driving the shaft 19 and, through the clutch 20, the shaft 16. The motor-pinion 22 meshes with the gear-wheel 23 on the shaft 2 1, said shaft having the worm 25 which engages the worm-gear 26 on the shaft 19.

The magnetic clutch 20 is automatically thrown into operation by the starting of the small motor 21 when the large motor 18 is idle.

In the operation of the apparatus, the table is moved over the track 27 until it is brought into position over the support 9, whereupon the shaft 5 is elevated and the support 9 engages the correspondingly shaped depression 28 in the bottom of the table thereby lifting the table 29 until the wheels '30 are elevated out of engagement with the track 27, as clearly indicated in Fig. 3. The motor 18 is then started and the grinding table 29 is rotated. It has not been deemed necessary to illustrate the runner irons or shoes which are supported the grinding table, and by means of which the grinding is accomplished, as that forms no part of my invention. After the grinding operation has been completed the motor 18 is stopped, and it will be apparent that the wheels 30 of the table may be at any angle with reference to the track 27. In order to spot the wheels with the track 27, the motor 21 is started and the operation of this motor automatically throws in the magnetic clutch 20, whereupon power is transmitted to the shaft 16. By means of this small auxiliary motor and its gear connections, the movement of the table 29 may be very accurately controlled and moved so gradually that there is no difiiculty in bringing the table around in position, so that the above wheels 30 will be in alinement with the tracks 27, whereupon the table is lowered and thetable may be run off along the track 27 to the polishing apparatus.

By the use of my improved apparatus, all the delay and trouble in attempting to move the table 29 by the large motor 18 is avoided, together with the sudden jars or jolts due to the sudden stopping of the motor when moving at a high speed, and the wear and tear on the wheels and track due to. the lowering of the table carrying its great weight, as the flanges of the wheels are liable to strike the rails and be chipped off or be otherwise damaged.

What I claim is:

In apparatus for shifting plate glass grinding tables, the combination of a suitable track, a grinding table, wheels on said table adapted to engage said track, means for disengaging said wheels from said track, a high-power electric motor, a shaft driven thereby at relatively high speed, connections between said shaft and said table for rotating same, a low power electric motor, a shaft driven thereby at relatively low speed, and a magnetic clutch between said first named shaft and said last-named shaft, said clutch being energized when said low power motor is started, whereby when said lowpower motor is put into operation said magnetic clutch is automatically operated to connect said shafts when said first-named motor is idle.

In testimony whereof, I, the said FRANK E. TROUTMAN, have hereunto set my hand.

FRANK E. TROUTMAN.

Witnesses JOHN F KELLER. 

